Lilly Lake Fishing in Dakota County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Dakota County, Lilly Lake is a Minnesota water. The bank is 958 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Dakota County. The nearest town is West Saint Paul, 1.5 miles away. It is 2.5 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lilly Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Dakota County, recorded fish include bluegill, common carp and green sunfish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Lilly Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 73°F in July and bottom out at 13°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Lilly Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. The spot is marked as a fishing site on the map, half a mile from our point. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Thompson Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Lilly Lake should be assumed from this page alone.